Quick answers.
- Which purchases expire after October 31, 2026?
- Reimbursement requests for educational purchases made between July 1, 2025 and June 30, 2026 must be submitted in EMA by October 31, 2026. Step Up does not accept 2025–26 claims after this date.
- What happens if a receipt is put On Hold after the October 31 cutoff?
- Submitting your claim before midnight establishes your official filing timestamp. If Step Up places the request On Hold for additional clarification, you have 30 days from the notice date to upload the requested documents.
- Are purchases made after July 1, 2026 affected by the October 31 deadline?
- No. Expenses paid on or after July 1, 2026 belong to the 2026–27 school year. The reimbursement request window for 2026–27 purchases remains open until July 31, 2027.
- What should I do if I cannot find the full itemized invoice before the deadline?
- Submit the request with the receipt or bank confirmation you currently possess before the midnight cutoff. Establishing a timely claim preserves your request in EMA so you can provide supplementary documentation if reviewers place it On Hold.
The countdown is down to the wire. Florida families using the Personalized Education Program (PEP) through Step Up for Students have less than 48 hours to file reimbursement claims for prior-year educational expenses.
Step Up’s annual calendar establishes a hard cutoff: purchases made during the 2025–26 school year—spanning July 1, 2025 through June 30, 2026—must be entered into the Education Market Assistant (EMA) portal by October 31, 2026 at 11:59 PM.
Once this window closes, Step Up shuts down claim entry for the 2025–26 school year. If you have unsubmitted receipts from last year sitting in folders or email inboxes, here is how to triage them immediately.
Which receipts expire in 48 hours?
The October 31 deadline applies exclusively to prior-year expenditures. Understanding the date boundary prevents unnecessary panic over recent fall receipts:
| Purchase date range | School year allocation | Final submission deadline | Status right now |
|---|---|---|---|
| July 1, 2025 – June 30, 2026 | 2025–26 School Year | October 31, 2026 | Expires in 48 hours |
| July 1, 2026 – June 30, 2027 | 2026–27 School Year | July 31, 2027 | Open through next summer |
If you bought curriculum, books, tutoring sessions, or testing between July 1, 2025 and June 30, 2026, it must be uploaded by October 31, 2026.
If an item was purchased on or after July 1, 2026, it is part of the 2026–27 scholarship year. You do not need to rush those claims into EMA tonight; your submission window remains open until July 31, 2027.
Triage checklist: filing before midnight.
When submitting under tight time constraints, claims are frequently flagged or delayed due to missing transaction elements. Every reimbursement uploaded into EMA must demonstrate three core components:
- Itemized description: The receipt must specify the exact items or services purchased. Generic store totals or credit card statements showing only a merchant name and dollar total do not satisfy Step Up's line-item verification.
- Proof of payment: Step Up requires visible proof that funds actually left your possession. This includes a receipt displaying "Paid in Full," a zero balance due, a cash register receipt showing the method of tender, or the last four digits of the credit or debit card used.
- Date of transaction: The purchase date must clearly fall within the July 1, 2025 to June 30, 2026 window.
For more details on resolving specific document snags, review our guide on how to fix an On Hold receipt in EMA.
Why you must upload even if documents are imperfect.
A frequent mistake parents make during deadline week is withholding a claim because they cannot immediately locate an itemized breakdown.
Submitting the claim before 11:59 PM on October 31 establishes your claim timestamp.
If Step Up reviewers find that a receipt lacks payment confirmation or requires an itemized breakdown, they will change the claim status to On Hold rather than rejecting it outright.
When a claim is placed On Hold, Step Up grants parents a window of 30 days from the notification date to provide the requested clarification or missing invoice. Filing before midnight preserves your claim within the system; failing to submit by October 31 closes the door entirely.
If a claim is ultimately rejected following review, see our complete walkthrough on Step Up reimbursement denial and appeal rules.
Step-by-step submission in EMA.
To complete your filings before the server cutoff:
- Log in to EMA: Navigate to the Step Up EMA portal and select your student's account.
- Select Reimbursement: Choose the reimbursement module and verify you are submitting under the correct academic year.
- Upload clear PDFs: Upload high-resolution scans or PDF exports rather than low-light mobile phone snapshots. Ensure merchant headers, item descriptions, and payment lines are legible.
- Submit individually: Avoid combining unrelated receipts into a single request. Submitting items individually ensures that an issue with one invoice does not hold up reimbursement for the others.
Once filed, keep your digital copies saved until reimbursement is processed and credited to your bank account.
Track your submitted receipts and pending reviews.
The Florida PEP Tracker keeps your reimbursement filings, claim statuses, and remaining scholarship allocations organized in one private place.
One payment, no subscription: $49 for one student or $69 for a family. See pricing.
More Florida PEP guides.
News & policy updates
- Step Up Disney & theme park rules
Can Florida PEP pay for Disney, Universal, or SeaWorld? Learn the $299 annual cap, student-only admission rules, and how to avoid denied claims.
- LEGO, KiwiCo, & STEM kits
Does Florida PEP cover LEGO sets, KiwiCo boxes, and STEM kits? Learn what Step Up's Learning Manipulatives category allows and common reimbursement mistakes.
- Faith-based curriculum rules
Does Florida PEP allow religious and faith-based homeschool curriculum? Review Step Up purchasing rules, publisher receipts, and what qualifies in EMA.
- Sports and PE lesson rules
Does Florida PEP pay for sports lessons, martial arts, gymnastics, or swim instruction? Review Step Up Physical Education rules and prohibited items.
- MyScholarShop vs reimbursement
Compare Step Up MyScholarShop direct vendor pay versus out-of-pocket reimbursement: review turnaround times, price differences, and return rules.
- Oct 31 receipt cutoff
Florida PEP families face the October 31, 2026 deadline for 2025–26 reimbursement claims. See what receipts expire and how to file in EMA.
- Nov 2026 Q2 deposit timing
Why Step Up’s November 1 funding date doesn’t mean instant account balances: how the 2-week EMA deposit window works and how to verify Q2 funds.
- The $24,000 balance cap
Why Step Up halts Quarter 2 funding if your account nears $24,000: how Florida's statutory ceiling works and what happens to paused PEP deposits.
- Black Friday Step Up deals
Can Florida PEP families claim Black Friday and Cyber Week sales? See how Step Up treats coupon discounts, bundled items, and gift card purchases in EMA.
- Step Up quarterly attestation
Before Step Up releases Quarter 2 funds on November 1, parents must verify student enrollment in EMA. Here is what to check to avoid funding pauses.
- On hold receipts in EMA
Seeing an 'On Hold' status on your Step Up reimbursement in EMA? Learn what document is missing, the 30-day upload clock, and how to fix claims.
- Denied reimbursement appeals
Has Step Up denied a reimbursement in EMA? Learn how the 30-day appeal clock works, Step Up's single-appeal rule, and how to submit a winning appeal.
Payments, balances, and deadlines
- Is Step Up money taxable?
Are Step Up for Students and Florida PEP scholarship funds taxable income? Learn what IRS educational grant rules, 1099 policies, and Florida law say.
- PEP payment dates for 2026–27
Step Up for Students PEP payment schedule for 2026–27: quarterly funding dates, how long deposits take to post, and what can hold a payment back.
- PEP deadline checklist (Oct 31)
Florida PEP families have until October 31, 2026 to request reimbursement for 2025–26 purchases. A step-by-step checklist to find, check, and submit every receipt in EMA.
- PEP award amounts by county
Every 2026–27 PEP scholarship amount from Step Up’s chart, for all 67 Florida counties and three grade bands, plus why EMA may show a different number.
- Do PEP funds roll over?
What Step Up for Students and Florida law say about unused PEP money: rollover, the $24,000 balance limit, inactive accounts, and switching programs.
- Is PEP free? Income and funding
Is Florida PEP free or income based? What Step Up and Florida law say about application fees, income priority, and where PEP scholarship money comes from.
Spending and reimbursements
- Can Step Up pay for gift cards?
Can you buy gift cards or use Amazon or Target store credit with Florida PEP funds? Learn why Step Up denies gift card claims and how to handle discounts.
- Can Step Up pay for a desk?
Can Florida PEP or Step Up funds buy a homeschool desk, chair, or bookshelf? Explore eligible at-home classroom furnishings, restrictions, and the 2-year rule.
- Online curriculum and apps
Can Florida PEP pay for IXL, Beast Academy, Outschool, and digital curriculum? Learn Step Up's single-user rules and reimbursement documentation.
- Can Step Up pay for a laptop?
Can you buy a laptop, computer, iPad, or printer with Florida PEP scholarship funds? Learn what Step Up's handbook and purchasing guide prohibit.
- Musical instruments & lessons
Can Florida PEP scholarship funds pay for musical instruments, instrument rentals, or piano lessons? Review Step Up fine arts rules and required invoice details.
- Zoo & museum memberships
Can Florida PEP scholarship funds pay for zoo, aquarium, and museum annual passes? See Step Up proration rules, family pass calculations, and EMA steps.
- Amazon receipts guide
Step-by-step guide to submitting Amazon receipts for Step Up reimbursement in EMA: downloading shipped invoices, proof of payment, and avoiding holds.
- Florida Virtual School and PEP
Can Florida PEP scholarship funds pay for Florida Virtual School? Learn Step Up's private-pay FLVS Flex rules, course tuition, and EMA invoice steps.
- The PEP Purchasing Guide, explained
A plain-English map of Step Up’s 2026–27 PEP Purchasing Guide: where to find it, the expense categories, prohibited items, and what needs pre-authorization.
- Splitting receipts between siblings
How Step Up prorates shared family purchases, multi-user subscriptions, and receipts split between siblings under Florida PEP.
- PEP for tutoring
Can Florida PEP pay for a tutor? Step Up’s credential rules for part-time and full-time tutors, what a tutoring invoice needs, and how tutors get paid.
- Does PEP cover it?
Does Florida PEP cover swim lessons, summer camp, sports, printers, headphones, transportation, or uniforms? Answers in the words of Step Up’s purchasing guide.
- PEP and therapy services
What Step Up’s PEP handbook and purchasing guide say about speech therapy, occupational therapy, ABA, and other specialized services, and where the pages differ.
- Finding PEP providers
Where Step Up for Students lists PEP providers and vendors: Find Providers in EMA, the vendor directory, the service categories chart, and how direct pay works.
- PEP pre-authorization
Which PEP purchases need pre-authorization from Step Up, how to submit a request in EMA, what to include, how long review takes, and what happens after approval.
- PEP reimbursement guide
How Step Up reimburses Florida PEP purchases: receipt rules, proof of payment, EMA steps, the Educational Benefit form, review time, holds, and appeals.
- How MyScholarShop works
How MyScholarShop works for Florida PEP families: when it opens, checking out, order statuses, shipping, returns, and cancelled orders, from Step Up’s own pages.
- What is EMA?
What EMA (Education Market Assistant) is for Florida PEP families: what you can do in it, account setup, MyScholarShop, and the account rules.
- PEP for private school, college, VPK
Can Florida PEP pay for private school, college classes, VPK, or preschool? What Step Up’s PEP pages and Florida law say, and which program fits instead.
- Proof of payment guide
What Step Up for Students requires for proof of payment: PayPal rules, credit card receipts, bank statements, cleared checks, and fixing payment holds in EMA.
Eligibility and yearly rules
- Standardized testing options
Which standardized tests qualify for Florida PEP? Learn about CLT, CAT, Iowa, Stanford 10, assessment fees, and annual SLP submission requirements.
- Can you lose PEP?
The reasons Step Up lists for losing a Florida PEP scholarship, including public school enrollment and moving, what happens to the money, and whether you repay it.
- What’s new for PEP in 2026–27
What changed in the 2026–27 PEP Family Handbook: public school attestation and withdrawal deadlines, deposit dates, switching rules, and purchasing guide updates.
- PEP application statuses
What each Step Up EMA status means for a Florida PEP application, from Pending and On Hold to Pending Review, Scholarship Choice Confirmed, Funded, and Denied.
- PEP and homeschooling
Is Florida PEP for homeschoolers? How PEP differs from a home education program: registration, letter of intent, testing, and when to end home education.
- How to apply for PEP
How to apply for the Florida PEP scholarship through Step Up: age and residency rules, documents, the EMA steps, and last year’s dates while 2027–28 dates are pending.
- How to renew PEP
How Florida PEP renewal works with Step Up: who counts as a renewal student, what keeps renewal status, documents, and last year’s renewal dates.
- What Step Up for Students is
What Step Up for Students is, and which Florida scholarship the name refers to: PEP, private school (FTC and FES-EO), or Unique Abilities.
- Is PEP full?
How many Florida PEP scholarships the law allows, when the cap ends, what Step Up’s pages say about capacity, and why they don’t all match.
- PEP for military families
What Step Up’s pages say about Florida PEP for active-duty military families: residency proof, PCS orders, deadline exceptions, and moving out of state.
- PEP testing and SLP
Florida PEP’s yearly requirements: the norm-referenced test, who must test (including K–2), the Student Learning Plan, deadlines, and exemptions.
- PEP vs FES-UA
What the FES-UA scholarship is, who qualifies, and how it differs from Florida PEP: diagnosis, ages, home education, therapies, devices, and deadlines.
Sources.
All read on October 29, 2026. We re-check them when new editions are published.
- PEP Reimbursement
Step Up for Students web page, read October 29, 2026: 2025–26 purchase window July 1, 2025 – June 30, 2026, request deadline October 31, 2026, 2026–27 window through July 31, 2027.
stepupforstudents.org - PEP Family Handbook (2026–27)
Step Up for Students web page, read October 29, 2026: reimbursement process, documentation standards, and 30 days clarification window.
stepupforstudents.org - Reimbursement Guide for Parent(s)/Guardian(s)
Step Up for Students PDF: receipt requirements, proof of payment, line items, and invoice criteria.
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